Firstly, I'd like to thank the author, the publishers and NetGalley for a pre release copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

Late in 2016, I received an email from NetGalley offering me an an excerpt of this book to read and review. As it was billed as "the next Gone Girl" I decided to take a punt on it, as I didn't really like Gone Girl so thought it couldn't really be much worse. Initially, my review of that excerpt, which turned out to be the first few chapters, I felt it just meandered on and didn't really get anywhere, nor did it feel as though it was going to go anywhere. That was, until the last chapter that I'd been given - which mentioned the "M" word, murder. Now I was intruigued. I asked for the full version when it was available which, thanks again to the publishers, I was granted. I'm now able to review the full book.

The book predominantly centres around two women, Emma and Jane, who at different times live in the same house, 1 Folgate St, Hendon, London. The house, it seems, is a character in itself. Built by renowned yet contravertial architect Edward Monkford - known for his extreme minimalist approach to life, following the tragic death of his wife and son, the house is stark in decor, full to overflowing of the latest technology, and comes with a set of over 200 rules. Both Emma and Jane have similar stories, trying to get over some traumatic experience in their recent lives. Firstly, Emma moves in with her boyfriend, Simon. Sadly, their relationship ends and soon after Emma dies in the house. Fast forward a couple of years and Jane is granted permission to move into 1 Folgate Street. As Jane discovers more about the past life of her home, and of it's previous tenant, she discovers how similar she is to Emma, and the more she discovers the more she investigates. There is always the question of exactly how did Emma die, was it murder as Simon believes (and if so, at whose hand?), did she commit suicide during an extreme bout of depression? or was it merely a tragic accident?

In my original review of the excerpt I received, I said the book just meandered along and didn't really go anywhere. After having had chance to read the whole book, I have to say that, for me at least, it really doesn't seem to go anywhere at all. It just seems to bounce backwards and forwards between the two characters and as they're meant to be so similar, their stories tend to be more identical than similar. Almost to the point as places in the book it's a carbon copy and you have to go back a few pages to see which character you're actually reading. There are several sex scenes that, while are not explicit, they do give the impression that the author was either in the middle of or just finished 50 Shades. What really happened to Emma isn't really that difficult to figure out, either. As a thriller, it kinda fails to thrill - I found I wasn't so much thrilled as wanted to find out if I was right. And there is definitely no "wow I wasn't expecting that!" moment. So, for me at least, and it does appear I'm in the minority here, it really was a bit of an anticlimax.

"Yes, daddy. Yes."


No. Please no.

I feel like somebody noted the success of books like Gone Girl and the success of Fifty Shades of Grey and thought: wouldn't it be great if we had a book that combined the two? No, actually. No, it wouldn't.

The Girl Before failed on so many levels, and I say that as a reluctant fan of these "domestic thrillers". I've enjoyed everything from The Girl on the Train to last year's ridiculous but fast-paced Behind Closed Doors. I expected I'd like this one too, but all I got was a weird relationship with "rules", another guy called Edward, and transparent twists.

The book alternates between the perspectives of Emma (Before) and Jane (After) as they move into the techno-minimalist apartment at One Folgate Street. Though beautiful, there is almost no furniture, absolutely everything is digital, and most bizarre of all - the landlord and famous architect, Edward Monkford, requires that his tenants follow some very strict rules. Both women soon find themselves caught up in a love affair with Edward, but when Jane discovers that Emma died in the apartment, she can't help investigating further.

Jane's digging uncovers some disturbing facts about Emma - she expressed concern over Edward's controlling ways to her psychiatrist, her death may not have been an accident, and strangest of all, she looked eerily like Jane herself.

Firstly, I don't know what is wrong with these women. Without giving away twists, their behaviour is often outright ridiculous. Warning bells are going off left, right and centre, and they're completely oblivious. At worst, Edward is a murderer, but even at best, he's a creepy weirdo. It's almost comical how much he resembles Christian Grey - not just sexually dominant and prone to "losing control" but also strict about Emma and Jane's eating and exercise habits. Ick. Get out. Also, lots of people have a "type", but it's just plain weird if your "type" are all women who look virtually identical.

Secondly, there is no atmosphere. I feel like the author tried to create a "creepy house with a dark history" feeling, but it didn't come through because so much of the book was nothing more than a weird romance. I also see how Delaney was trying to create a "ghost of past lovers" vibe, but this ain't no Daphne du Maurier. The writing wasn't strong enough to make you scared for the characters, to keep you metaphorically looking over your shoulder.

It is often really difficult to distinguish between the two perspectives. I had to keep flicking to the beginning of the chapter to find out whether I was on Emma or Jane. This is partly because the style is impersonal and doesn't deeply connect you with the characters, but also partly because their stories are very similar. As we soon see, Edward takes them to the same places, gives them the same food, treats them the same ways - it was like reading the same perspective twice.

And there's a whole bunch of subtle racism going on, as well as a bunch of other distasteful issues. If you insist on only writing about white, middle class people, don’t make the criminals/rapists black and working class. How do you not see what's wrong with that? And casual comments like this (made by a psychiatrist): "In any relationship there are two repetition compulsions at work - his and hers." I can think of a whole lot of relationships where that definitely isn't true.

Plus, there's a really poor and insensitive use of rape as a plot device. Without giving away spoilers, someone who was seen to be orally raped is then making jokes about preferring human sperm sacs (to fish sperm sacs - it's a long story, Japanese restaurant, blah blah). Firstly... gross. And secondly... gross.

But maybe, even after all of this, I could have been persuaded to up my rating if the ending had provided us with an interesting and satisfying reveal. Unfortunately, I saw it coming from a mile away. The list of suspects is too short; the list of suspects who we'd actually care about it being is even shorter. I'm sorry, but I can't even find anything good to say about it.

Wow, just wow. I loved this book. It’s genuinely fantastic from the plot to the writing.This book has so many twists in it that I was just overwhelmed, but in a good way.

The plot revolves around two women, Emma and Jane, who live in the same house at different times. The house is seemingly perfect but it comes with a set of unrealistic rules and a lengthy application process. Everything from the lights to the shower is controlled via an app which even censors internet search results and the tenants aren’t allowed to have their own furniture or any other possessions because the house must be kept in perfect condition. The architect and landlord, Edward, is a control freak in all aspects of his life but he’s also fascinating to his tenants, in a sort of unattainable way.

The chapters of The Girl Before are split into ‘Before’ and ‘Now’. The ‘Before’ chapters are from Emma’s point of view but the ‘Now’ chapters are from Jane’s. All chapters are written in the first person and it works so well because both narrators are highly unreliable and it keeps the suspense high throughout the novel. The writing is amazing. I was gripped from the first word to the last word. It’s so well written that I didn’t see any of the twists coming, even though I had my own predictions and thoughts, and the ending is one of the best I’ve ever read. It’s such a fantastic ending.

The book deals with very sensitive issues, like most psychological thrillers, do but they’re dealt with very well in my opinion. None of these events happen purely for shock value because they all add to the plot or the character-development in some way. The author shows great skill by writing about sensitive topics in such a mature way.

The characters are fascinating because just as you feel like you have them figured out something will happen in the narrative that makes you rethink your whole outlook on the characters.

Emma seems like a sweet woman who has been traumatised and has turned into a cold, insecure woman but she’s not what she seems. Emma was the biggest surprise for me in terms of the character development because she’s so complicated. She’s an amazing character. Jane has also suffered a traumatic event but she’s much stronger than Emma. She always seems to be in control, even when faced with control-freak Edward, and I loved that about her. She’s a fantastic woman and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her chapters. Both of these characters are well-written and realistic but neither of them are who they first appear to be.

Edward, as mentioned before, is in control of every aspect of his life. He’s also very handsome and extremely creepy. Both women are fascinated by him in some way and he definitely takes advantage of this. He’s an interesting character but while he is a major part of the plot I was glad that he didn’t turn out to be a Christian Grey type of character who can’t admit to his flaws which is what I expected in the beginning.

All of the supporting characters have interesting stories and characteristics too. They’re not just left in the background to serve as bland counterpoints to the main characters. This makes the story seem fuller and more interesting because you’re able to become invested in more than just Emma and Jane.

Okay, there are some things that I didn’t like about the book. Well, more like just one thing but it actually really freaked me out. This is the reason that this book is a 4.5 out of 5 rather than a full 5 stars.

There’s a small instance of ageplay (aka, daddy kink) in the book and it makes me want to throw up. It really freaks me out when I read it. It also came out of nowhere in the book so it shocked me a little bit. I managed to get past it because it was only brief but I don’t know what it added to the novel at all. It’s just unnecessary to me and I think that the idea could have been shown in a different way but some people will disagree with me.

The Girl Before is a spectacular book which gripped me from beginning to end. I read it in one sitting because I was hooked from the very first page. JP Delaney has created one of the best psychological thrillers that I have ever read.

I would happily buy this book for myself and I’d buy it as a gift for friends and family who enjoy thriller novels. It’s a truly fantastic book and I can’t recommend it enough.

Review also available at: warmdayswillnevercease.wordpress.com

I enjoyed the idea of living by the rules, everything in its place, no unnecessary items in your life, constant checks on your life to help you improve your mental state and health. Actually I just like the idea of an always clean kitchen!
The story flicks between the then story of a previous tenant and the now story of the current. Both seeming to be vulnerable and have similarly appearances. The story is about who killed Emma, because Jane has a better chance of survival if she knows.
The promo about the book suggested to me that the tenants lived under stricter rules then actually were applied, I was thinking more big brother house than come and go as you please. I wasn’t disappointed though. It’s difficult to tell from a kindle, but I think the book is a good ‘short’ read. – I finished it in a night, because the book flows well it makes this so easy to keep reading.
It’s a good distraction for a couple of hours and worth a read, but I don’t think it needs to be at the top of your neatly stacked book reading list.

This arrives with much hype: it's gripping and has some interesting ideas at work around the house but sadly they don't get explored as deeply as they could be: to what extent can environment put pressure on personality? Can architecture make social and personal interventions? These questions get raised but are ultimately subsumed beneath a pretty standard 'psychological' thriller: characters are damaged, pathological liars, psychopaths hidden in plain sight, and obsessive-compulsives with a bit of sexual exhibitionism thrown in for good measure plus a couple of murders.

The writing is smoother than is often the case in this kind of commercial fiction: the sections are very short, sometimes only half a page, at most a couple of pages, switching between Emma 'then' and Jane 'now'. There's lots of misdirection going on but personally I feel it's cheating to have twists that depend on 1st person narrators simply lying to us...

So an enjoyable piece of fluff that I whizzed through in one sitting: I'd like to see Delaney do something more intelligent with the intriguing ideas that get suggested here but which ultimately have little to do with the plot. As it is, this is gripping as an easy downtime read - perfect for commuter reading or anyone who wants escapism rather than anything more believable.

To be posted on Amazon and Goodreads

Yet another thriller with the word Girl in the title. But while some of the other 'girls club' titles haven't lived up to the original Gone Girl, The Girl Before does a good try and very almost gets there.
With its original setting and concept I'm sure this is a book that is going to be popular.

Although I was sceptical at the start, this book really grew on me and I became hooked, trying to figure out, not just the mystery of the girl before, but also the characters. They all start off seeming a bit flat and obvious, but as the story continues you realise their depth and also their lack of trustworthiness. No one and nothing is as it seems.

As I said, I was a bit sceptical at the beginning of The Girl Before, especially of the character Edward Monkford, the architect of the house, who seemed to be a bit of a Christian Grey type character that the lead females were clearly going to fall for (yawn). However, he has more about him than a two-dimensional disciplinarian and as you read its really hard to place him, is he sinister or just a perfectionist?

The house, One Folgate Street, is a character in itself, sinister yet beautiful. Is it healing the women or tearing them apart? It's a really great concept to have this amazing and mysterious house as the setting of a mysterious death. Woven throughout are the questions that Emma and Jane had to answer in order to rent the house. I was questioning whether I would want to live in it, could live in it, and if it would be wonderful or frustrating.

The Girl Before will appeal to people who love a thriller where you can't trust any one and revelations are thrown at you at every turn. Just as I thought I was getting a grip on the story it would twist again into something else and I would have to readjust all my perceptions

Alternating between the Now with Jane's narrative, and the Then with Emma's was a really effective story telling device and it allowed the story to unfold and be revealed with the perfect amount of tension.

The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is that the writing was a bit juvenile for me in a few places, Delaney is probably trying to make the narration realistic but with quite a few "He's like.What?" sort of things littering the text it irritated me and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the prose.
Also, I don't know if it was just the ARC I received, but there were no quotation marks for dialogue, which drove me a tiny bit crazy.

Actually, I'd love to read a 'proper' version of the book. I don't mind reading on my Kindle but some books just seem to warrant a nice, thick 'real' book that will have you rapidly turning the pages. The Girl Before is definitely one of these.

My rating: 4/5

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the author and publisher.

Effective suspense thriller with twists to keep readers gripped.

Sometimes being a book reviewer and book blogger is tough. It's important to be able to form an independent opinion of a book despite hearing and reading the reviews of others. This is especially difficult when a book has been receiving sterling reviews, as this one has. But in this case, I need to go against the grain and say that this read just didn't do it for me.

Despite this book getting off to a promising start, I found that it very soon became unrealistic and lacked substance. I found myself constantly asking "why would anyone do that?" or saying to myself "that would never happen in real life." Without giving anything away, let me just say that I don't know of a single person that would agree to rent and live in a house in which they were not even allowed to put a coffee mug down, or to leave the book they are busy reading in the lounge. A house that required the lessee to sign a lease with more than 200 prohibitive conditions, where the lessee had to agree to random surveys about themselves and if not completed within a short time period, certain fundamental appliances in the house would not work, like the shower or the stove. That is all just too ridiculously far fetched for me. I also found Edward to be an unrealistic character and one that would not get very far in real life, let alone be absolutely adored by not one but two woman. I know we are talking about a fictional story here, but still, for me a story must always be believable or else you lose me. So, unfortunately I must conclude by saying that this one won't make it onto my favourites list for this year. In fact, I think it might be down towards the bottom somewhere.

My rating: * *

Many thanks to the author, J. P Delaney, Quercus Books and NetGalley for my review copy. It was my pleasure to furnish an honest and unbiased review.

It's always great to read an intriguing premise, one that tells you that you have to read this book and that was how I felt when I first read the blurb for The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney.

A perfect house built by an architect who will accept nothing short of perfection, or at least his version of it. The house is available to rent but not just to anyone with the cash ( and this house is a bargain), applicants must fill in a lengthy questionnaire and be approved personally by the owner/designer Edward Monkford. And it doesn't stop there, rules (over 200 of them) must be adhered to; no clutter, no pets, no children, very few possessions. The list goes on.

This concept sets up the initial intrigue of the story. Why would anyone agree to live under such rigid conditions? But then, Edward is an unusual and intriguing man and Jane, the latest applicant has fallen under his spell as well as that of the beautiful, minimalist house.

The story is told from two points of view and in two time-frames. As Jane moves into One Folgate Street and learns more about Edward, whose wife and son tragically died, she also begins to learn something about a former tenant, Emma. So the action Goes back and forth and we see the house with Emma and boyfriend Simon in occupancy and with Jane.

As jane delves deeper into Emma's life (and death) it becomes apparent that there are a lot of parallels between the two women. What really happened to Emma and, Jane wonders increasingly, was Edward responsible?

The story is complex. Both women have relationships with the Ice-cold Edward, both have suffered some trauma in their past. At some point I felt that the author introduced too many angles and that maybe the creepiness of the perfect house and it's strange owner were in danger of becoming swamped by a whole gamut of other findings and revelations that made it hard to like any of the characters.

However, the book is certainly a page turner. The narrative flows easily and the short, sharp changes in viewpoint made it a fast and satisfying read. I would usually say that I love a convoluted plot with many twists and turns but, in this case, just for once, maybe a little less would have been more, just as with the house that features so prominently in the story.

After reading the synopsis of this book I was intrigued, and when I saw Ron Howard is already planning the film I couldn't wait to read it.

The way this book is written, alternating between the current tenant of One Folgate Steet and 'the girl before', adds to the tension. At various points in the story I think I was suspicious of everyone - including the house which feels like a character in its own right!

The book is a quick read, mainly because you can't put it down. I would definitely recommend this book, especially before the film comes out.

I was hooked in moments, what an interesting start to a book! Hen I was lucky to win a hardback copy and read it as n days over Christmas. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this treat.

The story is full of startling ideas, twists and turns, it captives the reader. You simply have to know more. I cannot spoil the plot but this is one of my favourite reads in the last 6 months. A super thrilling book.

A great plot, keeps you guessing until the end, a very different and interesting storyline, would recommend this book, it a great read.

An original psychological thriller which held my attention from the start. Emma and Jane's stories are told in tandem both have suffered traumatic events in their pasts and are struggling to move on with their lives. A radical opportunity for change presents itself in the form of an ultra modern house which they are able to rent at a rock bottom price. However with the house comes rules and a landlord who likes to control. I found the concept of the story original, the main characters were interesting and not all they seemed on the surface, with the exception of Edward which was a little disappointing.
I would read something from this author again.

The Girl before is a tense, gripping, manipulative psychological thriller, That will keep you hooked from the very first page. Jane is searching for a new flat when she comes across 1 Folgate street. Even before they can move in Jane has to fill a application form on how she lives. so she can move into this state of the art minimalistic perfect house. Which has won awards for its architecture. Jane is the the successful applicant. After moving in Jane meets Edward Monkton that designed the house and she has a relationship with him. He is a very controlling man. When Jane finds out that 1 Folgate street is not the perfect house that she thinks it is. For when the house was being built Edwards wife and child died and a previous tenant Emma also died there.

The story alternates between Emma and Janes stories living in the house. Which I know its only a story but made me paranoid reading it. I could feel how tense the room was like I was there. I really enjoyed this book but the only thing that let it down was the ending. It wasn't what I was expecting and I thought it was a bit flat. It is still worth the read . I also can't wait for Ron Howard to make it into a film.

An unputdownable captivating story. I really got roped in to the unfolding tale.

One Folgate Street is the perfect house. For some. Designed by an award winning architect, it is a minimalist perfection. It is a house that, thanks to complex technology, understands the mood its tenant is in and responds to it. Everything is controlled by the house, even the results of a search engine search.

On top of that the architect has a long list of weird rules for his tenants and to be able to rent it one has to pass a strange test. Still he gets his tenants. The house in itself is fascinating. Somehow it reminded me of Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory.

The book is not sci-fi or something like that, it is a domestic noir or psychological thriller as one prefers. There are some deaths, maybe even murders and at least one twist. But as psychological thriller goes, this is above average and a bit different ( mainly thanks to the house). The characters are also interesting but unlike others thrillers I was not looking forward to the end to see what happened, I actually enjoyed reading at every stage.

I think it is wrong to compare it to the Girl on the Train or Gone Girl, there are completely different books. Yes they all have the world Girl in the title and that is about it. Read it and enjoy it without expecting it to be Gone Girl II, because it us not.

A rather unusual, contemporary sexy thriller.

Meet Jane and Emma, they have quite a few things in common, these 2 young women and yet their situations and personalities are quite different. One thing they do have in common, is they have both lived at the same address – One Folgate Street, a state of the art architect designed luxury pad filled with the latest hi tech gadgetry, which they have both been permitted to rent at a peppercorn rent in return for abiding by some stringent and frankly weird rules.

Meet Edward Monkton the designer and owner of this unique property. Widowed and obsessive he personally interviews and vets every tenant and insists they follow his intricate requirements to live in the house he created in memory of his late wife and child.

Jane has a very particular reason for wanting to live there, she needs a new start following the stillbirth of her baby, still reeling from grief One Folgate street will give her the chance to begin again. But soon after moving in she begins to receive deliveries of flowers which turn out to be from the ex-boyfriend of the previous tenant Emma and thus we learn about Emma and begin to move back and forth in time as we hear both girls telling their respective experiences in the house.
Emma moved in there with her boyfriend Simon following a violent and distressing break-in, which has left her shaken and feeling unsafe, but far from being the haven she hopes for One Folgate Street becomes the catalyst for her life to spiral even further out of control and reveals herself to be a somewhat unreliable narrator.

Jane begins to investigate what happened to Emma and what she uncovers is at times worrying and unsavoury and leaves her fearing for her own safety.

There are quite a few shocks and twists in the imaginative storyline and it becomes clear that its not easy to know who to trust and who not to. Have the girls been selected as tenants by Edward Monkton for some sinister ulterior motive? What exactly happened to Emma and who was behind it?

A clever and unpredictable page turning thriller with some sinister and tense scenes coupled with a raunchiness that in some places left me a touch uneasy. The stark minimalism and pristine uncluttered cleanliness of the strange house jarred with the raunchy yet clinical passion of its manipulative (yet coldly attractive to some women) owner whom I found petty, pernickety and sexist yet scary and mystifying.

The author seems to have tried to combine elements of 50 shades – with hints of several popular current psychological thrillers, it shouldn’t have worked but it actually did end up pretty gripping reading, if a little too pulp fiction and slightly too little literary merit for my usual tastes.
A quick read if you’re seeking a weekends entertainment to curl up with. Plenty going on, surprises and thrills yet easy to follow.

I'd expected great things from this book when I read the premise. A beautifully designed and minimalist house where the rental applicants are strictly vetted by the owner sounded like something out of Black Mirror and I was willing to let the "girl" title go and put that down to marketing shenanigans. It all starts off well, we jump back and forth between Jane and Emma's story and timelines as they chance upon the house after both suffering separate traumatic events. The author had just about got me on board with why someone would fill in an alarmingly instrusive questionnaire for the right to live in a house where you weren't allowed books (what?) but sadly when we're introduced to the genius yet maverick architect is when it all starts to go downhill. The mystery popped out of the story like a burst balloon and the middle section of the book plays out like some weird Fifty Shades of Grey with clean surfaces while the characters seem to develop several different personalities depending on what events are occurring. There's some smart twists and turns in the final third but by this point I'd lost any interest in or sympathy for the characters. It's a good idea which ultimately fell flat for me.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Unfortunately this book didn't do much for me. It is essentially another run of the mill chick lit 'thriller' that doesn't deliver on its promises. At least it was a quick and easy read. Disappointing.

If ever there was a thriller that demanded to be read in one sitting this is it. It's labyrinth like plot is so full of twists and turns that I was never sure who was telling me the truth and was who they claimed to be.

Most of the characters are almost Machiavellian in nature, so I was constantly questioning my own judgement of them, though of course some are more likeable than others. Jane in particular is very engaging and I couldn't help but root for her and wish her happiness. And as for the other players in this story, well, you'll have to make your mind about them yourself. There's so much I wasn't to discuss, but spoilers would invariably creep in and that's not right.

The fact that the novel is a dual narrative and episodic, means that you'll always have to read the next "entry", it constantly calls to be read. And it cleverly feeds you just enough to add another layer of constant doubt. This doubt made the reveal of what happened to Emma not a surprise, just an inevitability. Though by that I don't mean that I "solved" it, just that all the characters were so duplicitous that I wouldn't have been shocked if it was any one of them that had played a part.

It's not even as if ''The Girl Before'' is a whodunit either, it really is a good psychological thriller. Who can be trusted actually? No-one - that's the truth here! I'm not surprised to read that this has been earmarked for a film. To be fair it does call out for it and it is more than worthy of it.

I loved this. A proper rollickingly good read. Enjoy every page of it!